An oft quoted complaint from military, political and intelligence leaders is that few in the media understand the military, and even less, the intelligence community.

Considering the obstacles placed in our way, it comes as no surprise. Who would want to spend the hours of research per day, needed to cover the area of Intelligence, and suffer the dirty tricks, and defamation by the "Pit Bulls', let loose, when we either come near the truth, or dare criticise the community. You can cover Hollywood, or politics and get all the scandal you can use, from a few phone calls. And they invite you to great parties!

The Pentagon has swamped the US TV Networks with boring retired military spokesman, and displaced the investigative journalists, and expert guests. They are then amazed at the public outcry over such stories as Taliban prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, and how the public don't believe their uncomfortable over-briefed spokesmen.

The Internet has given many a platform, and created global conduits of information. The Intel mailing lists, such as IntelForum.org, used to act as lightning rods, and discussion forums, for intelligence matters. Yet the
"Pit Bulls" have systematically decimated and destroyed them, by attacking anyone who dares voice any criticism of their beloved Agencies. Regardless how they may howl the public perception  is that 9/11 was an intelligence failure of mammoth proportions.

In years gone by the long quoted excuse was that lives were at risk. Yes, but usually they were innocent bystanders, and our own troops, when bad intelligence causes the wrong targets to be hit by "Friendly Fire". Ask a wounded Marine if the bomb fragments were friendly, as they ripped apart his body. Today the news cameras, and satellite videophones are at the battlefield site, long before the combatants.  The Vietnam War caused issues with reporting,  the Gulf War censorship issues, and now Afghanistan raises credibility issues.

Millions choose the alternative views of Matt Drudge
 
It has finally reached the level of Barnum and Bailey, with TV personalities (I won't call them journalists) carefully made up, in designer fatigues, with appropriate decked sets, and on-cue rifle, and mortar rounds.  For all
their stage management the news is still the  inability of the intelligence community to find, or accurately track bin Laden. A major embarrassment. Back in the USA, the traditional Intel reporters, with their links to the
agencies, know no more than the man in the street. It came as a major shock to the Intel establishment that 3,500,000 follow Matt Drudge every day, while only a few thousand follow Vernon Loeb, twice a month. The dynamics of presenting information to a hungry public has drastically changed, and will change even more.

The terrorists have learned how to tip off the media, how to ensure cameras are ready, even running, when they strike. For those who remember Yasser Arafat in the early days, they timed bombs, and executions, to coincide with the US Prime Time News. Even the Iranian hostages were released on cue for the Reagan Inaugural TV coverage. They have learned  that a crude videotape carefully paced, can have devastating effects.  And it is not election time. Wait till we get near the US mid-term elections, where President Bush can be made
to look ineffective, and swing the House to the Democrats, and increase their lead in the Senate. A bin Laden videotape at the right time can totally change the face of American politics.

To stop the slide into global terrorism, and a land fit for nobody, we need the assistance of every citizen in the world. We need them to understand that the looming religious war, will destroy the fragile fabric of
civilization. The growing hatred to the Mighty Satan, the Superpower United States, should keep US decision makers awake at nights. For the people of the United States,  are generous,  support millions of starving people, and distressed countries around the world. But they are judged by the images, and perceptions the world watches on their television screens, or photographs in the newspapers.

The politicians know the value of expert media, and working with a spectrum of journalistic opinions. So why does the Intelligence community want to discredit, and slur those who understand their plight, point out their
flaws, and offer them an information conduit to the world. Not everyone can be in their pocket!

Maybe no politician has told them "Never pick a fight with someone who buys printing ink by the barrel. You will never win.".... It's time for a change, before it is too late.

Alan Simpson, Washington DC